Multiple pipe support



March 28, 1961 J. BESON MULTIPLE PIPE SUPPORT Original Filed Feb. 21,' 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 L/O/7/7 Bevan INVENTOR.

QA/Z 595%.

ATTORNEY March 28, 1961 J. BESON 2,976,929

MULTIPLE PIPE SUPPORT Feb. 21, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 H 1 I I r" PM, 1" I a PM J. BESON MULTIPLE PIPE SUPPORT March 28, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Feb. 21, 1957 dob/7 Benson INVENTOR.

March 28, 1961 J, BESON 2,976,929

MULTIPLE PIPE SUPPORT Original Filed Feb. 21, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I I A fly 30 LLIV We dofixv Essa/7 INVENTOR.

A TURA/E V United States Patent MULTIPLE PIPE SUPPORT John Beson, Houston, Tex., assignor, by mesne assignments, to McEvoy Company, Houston, Tex., a corporation of Texas Continuation of application Ser. No. 641,677, Feb. 21, 1957. This application Nov. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 856,296

8 Claims. (Cl. 166-75) This invention pertains to apparatus for hanging or suspending pipes in a well. More particularly, the invention pertains to such apparatus having a multiple element hanger means whereby more than one well tubing or other well pipes may each be supported independently in a well. An important advantage of the apparatus herein disclosed is that it provides ample clearance through the well head for run of equipment such as gas lift and other over-size equipment at the position of one of the well pipes, without disturbance of the disposition or function of others of the Well pipes. The

invention is disclosed by a description and showing of a dual tubing hanger, but the scope of the invention is not meant to be limited according to the particular description and showing presented of a dually completed well since the invention is applicable as well to Wells having more than two tubings or well pipes, and further to the supporting of any types of well pipes or conduits. This application is a continuation of application S.N. 641,677, filed by the same inventor on February 21, 1957, now abandoned, and bearing the same title.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a pipe supporting apparatus for independently suspending a plurality of pipes in a well.

Another object of the invention is to provide such apparatus having two or more independently supported yet complementary hanger means each for suspending a pipe in a well.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such apparatus having means for azimuthally setting the hanger means in a well head.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pipe hanger means which is fully supported both vertically and laterally and yet is disposed spaced from the axis of the well head.

Another object of the invention is to provide well pipe support means past which oversize equipment may be run into the well, maximum run-through space for such oversize equipment being provided for each string without interference with other strings in the well.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, of which:'

Figure 1 is an axial vertical section of a portion of a well head assembly embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a partial axial vertical section taken as indicated by line 2-2 of Figure 1; v

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken at line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken at line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is like Figure 4, one of the hanger means being removed to allow running of oversize equipment into the well; and

Figure 6 is a partial vertical section taken similarly as Figure 1, and showing the lower apparatus above which the assembly of Figure 1 is surmountingly connected, the interior elements being removed.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, reference numeral 10 designates a tubing head. Tubing head 10, in its usual disposition in a complete well head, may surmount a casing head 10a (see Figure 6) above a well (not shown), the well and well heads being equipped and disposed in any suitable manner known in the art in order'to implement production from subterranean petroleum-bearing strata or stratum intersected by lower portions of the well. Usually, when the present invention is applied, the well will intersect two or more petroleum-bearing strata so that a multiple completion results.

Tubing head 10 has an upper connection flange 11 for connection to lower flange 12 of upper element 13 of the well completion equipment thereabove. An opening 14 of circular horizontal section provides space for equipment and fluid communications through the tubing head. The opening 14 has a radially narrow upwardly facing annular conical shoulder 15 therearound (see also Figures 2 and 4-5) spaced below its upper end, and enlarges conically downwardly therebelow at 16. Opening 14 is of uniform cylindrical form above shoulder 15. Opening 14 is axially aligned with openings in lower equipment (not shown) leading downwardly to the Well bore.

Casing head 10a, shown in Figure 6 of the drawings, has tubing head 10 connected surmountingly thereabove. Tubing head 10 has connection flange 17 around its lower end and casing head 10a has connection flange 18 around its upper end, flanges 17, 18 being connected together by a plurality of the bolts 19 disposed through suitable bolt holes through the flanges. A steel ring gasket 19:: is disposed in grooves in the flange faces to seal between the connected flanges in the conventional manner. Casing'head 10a has vertically therethrough the passage 10b which forms a continuous passage with the tubing head opening 14 into the well (not shown) above which the apparatus is installed.

Shoulder 15 provides vertical support for two hangers or half-hangers 20, 21, the hangers 20, 21 being shown herein in identical form but being capable of independent modification to fulfill specific needs. Each of the hangers is shown adapted to receive a plug means and each may obviously be modified to omit this feature, which will be more fully referred to later.

Since hangers, or half-hangers, 20, 21 are identical, only hanger 20 will be described in detail, the description applying also to hanger 21. Hanger 20 (Figures l-2 and 4-5 is of tubular shape with the axis of the tubular portion 22 being disposed vertically. An irregular flange 23 is formed around hanger portion 22 near its vertical midpoint. The flange 23 has a horizontal cross-section which is in the form of a half-circle, a portion of the diametral side 24 of the flange being deleted along an irregular line as shown best in Figures 4-5. The diametral side 24 of the flange is parallel with a diameter of the opening 14 of the tubing head at its end portions, and curves toward the axis of opening 14 at its center. The semicircularly formed sides 25 of flange 23 conform with the sides of opening 14 above shoulder 15 thereof, and are conically beveled inwardly at the lower edge 26 to seat flushly upon a circumferential portion of shoulder 15 of opening 14. The tubular portion 22 of hanger 20 has an axial concentric passage 27 of circular horizontal section, the lower end of which is interiorly threaded to form a socket 28. The recesses 17, 18 (see Figure 4) are required to allow the lower tubular portions of the hangers to pass shoulder 15. The upper end of passage 27 is also interiorly threaded to form a socket 29. Around an upper central portion of v.) passage 27 there are formed two spaced circular recesses 17a, 18a, recess 17a being above recess 18:: and having an upwardly converging conical upper side and a horizontal lower side, and recess 18a having an upwardly converging upper side and a downwardly converging lower side. Recesses 17a, 18a, are shaped to receive flange portions of a McEvoy-Otis plug 33 and may be also dilferently formed to receive other suitable types of plugs as are known in the art. The plugs may be of the back pressure valve type or any other suitable type. The McEvoy-Otis plug 33, referred to above, is of the type designated McEvoy-Otis Back Pressure Valve in The Composite Catalog of Oil Field and Pipe Line Equip ment, volume 2, 21st (l955-56) edition (published by World Oil, The Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas), at page 3245. As has been mentioned earlier, the recesses 17a, 18a, or other recesses, may be omitted entirely, in which case passage 27 will be smooth walled. The recesses may be omitted in either one or both of the passages 27 of hangers 20, 21, or may be omitted in neither as shown herein.

A well pipe, such as tubing string 36, is threadedly engaged for support in the well at the socket 28 of hanger 20, and a well pipe, such as tubing string 37, is threadedly engaged for support in the well at the socket 28 of hanger 21.

The two hangers 20, 21 are seated side by side in the tubing head bowl formation above shoulder 15 in opening 14, the lower beveled edge 26 of each being seated upon a portion of shoulder 15. The flanges 23 of the hangers are spaced apart a short distance at their curved central portions of their diametral sides 24, and a wider spacing between the flanges obtains near the sides of the tubing head opening 14. A pair of identical key members 30 and 31 are carried at opposite sides of shoulder 15, extending upwardly therefrom. Each key member 30, 31 has a lower bar portion 32 which is received into one of the opposite slots 34, 35, which are formed in the inner face of shoulder 15, and at opposite sides thereof. Above their lower bar portions key members 30, 31 are wider, overlapping the sides of the slots, and extend upwardly above shoulder 15 a distance slightly less than the vertical thickness of the flanges 23 of hangers 2t), 21. The lower surfaces of the wider key member portions are beveled to fit flushly against the upper surface of shoulder 15, and are of narrower radial thickness than the shoulder, the back, or outer, sides of the key members being flush against the wall of opening 14 and the front or inner sides of the key members being spaced radially outwardly from the inner surface of shoulders 15 so that movement of the hangers therepast is not impeded. The upper ends of key members 30, 31 are beveled as at 38 and 39, these beveled surfaces serving as guides for landing the hangers 20, 21 on the shoulder 15. The widths of the upper key member portions are equal to twice the terminal deletion of each of the flange sides 24 at their ends, so that the key members space the flanges 23 apart when hangers 20, 21 are seated on shoulder 15, and also hold the semicircular flange sides 25 of each of the hangers in position on shoulder 15. Thus, each hanger 20 or 21 is independently supported, a portion of shoulder 15 providing the vertical support and the lateral support being provided by sides of the two keys 30, 31 and by a side of opening 14. In other words, shoulder 15 serves as vertical support means for each hanger 20, 21 and keys 30, 31 serve as lateral support means for each hanger 20, 21 to hold the hangers against sliding off of shoulder 15, which is tapered, under the pipe weight supported by each hanger. The hangers 20, 21 are put in position through the upper end of tubing head opening 14, and each hanger is independent of the other so that each may be separately set or removed.

As indicated in Figures 2 and 4, keys 30, 31 each have a slot opening 49 therethrough at the wider upper part of the key, the keys being secured to the wall of tubing 4 head opening 14 by filling each slot 40 with weld metal,

which is ground ofi smooth at the inner faces of the keys. These welds also may partially fill the space between the curved wall of opening 14 and the flat outer side of the key. The keys may be secured in other ways, and the described manner of welding is presented only by way of example. The keys may be made integral with the tubing head if desired.

When only one of the hangers 20, '21 is in place, as is shown in Figure 5, there is ample space at the other side of opening 14 for access and running of equipment through the opening. Opening 14 is then vertically open except for the space occupied by the flange 23 of the hanger in place, the hanger herein shown being hanger 20, the latter occupying less than half of the horizontal section of opening 14. Oversize equipment such as gas or air lift apparatus, wire line apparatus, and the like, can be easily run into the well through the tubing head when the apparatus is in this condition.

Well head element 13 has dual parallel passages '42 and 43 vertically therethrough. Passages 42 and 43 are counterbored at their lower ends at 44, 45, respectively,

and element 13 has a larger opening 46 at its lower end which overlaps both passages 42 and 43 and counter= bores 44, 45, to provide space for sealing a pair of pipe nipples 47, 48, respectively into the lower ends of passages 42, 43. Nipple 47 is threadingly connected into the socket 29 of hanger 20, and nipple 48 is threadingly connected into the socket 29 of hanger 21, each nipple extending upwardly into the counterbore 44, 45, respectively, of element 13. The sealing means in opening 46 and counterbores 44, 45 includes a compression plate 50 having lower beveled edge 51 which is engaged by a plurality of lockscrews 52 (indicated only by dashed line outline in Figure l) radially through flange 12 of element 13. The sealing means also includes, in each counterbore 44, 45, a compression ring 53 received into a recess in the upper surface of plate 50, and thereabove a lower packing retainer ring 54, a packing ring 55, and an upper packing retainer ring 56, the upper surface of the latter engaging the upper end of the counterbore so that the packing rings are vertically compressed to form seals around pipe nipples 47, 48 within the counterbores.

A plurality of lockscrews 58 are disposed radially through flange 11 of tubing head 10. The lockscrews are shown in Figure 3 and are indicated by dashed lines in Figure 1. Means for sealing around hangers 20, 21 within opening 14, above flange formations 23 of the hangers, is provided. This seal means includes a lower packing support plate 62, a packing element 63 thereabove, and an upper compression plate 64. Each of the members 62-64 is of a fiat, disk-like shape corresponding to the tubing head opening 14 within which they are disposed, and each member 62-64 has fitted openings for receiving the upper tubular portions 22015 the two hanger means 20, 21. Compression of the packing is accomplished, after the hangers and seal. means are in place in the tubing head, by screwing in the lockscrews 58 against upper beveled surface 67 of compression plate 64, and thereby forcing the compression plate downward to compress the packing element. The packing element is expanded outwardly against the tubing head and inwardly against the hangers to form fluid-tight seals. The upper tubular portions 22 of the hangers 2t), 21, in addition, are provided with circular grooves 68, 69, respectively, each of which may receive a split ring 70 to hold together seal members- 6264 and to hold the seal members on the second of the hangers while the second of the hangers, with itstubing string, is lowered. into place in the tubing head opening 14.

As already indicated, one well pipe, for example tubing string 36, is run into the well and supported by hanger 20. The other tubing string 37 is thereafter run into the well and supported by hanger 21. The sealing members scribed hanger 21, being held thereon by ring 70. Alternatively, the packoff assembly, members 62-64, can be lowered into place through the preventers with suitable handling rods or tools. The packolf assembly, when in place, seals oil? the annulus space around hangers 20, 21 in tubing head opening 14, and the back pressure value means or plugs 33 seal off the passages 27 through hangers 20, 21, making it safe to remove the blowout preventers. Then nipples 47, 48 and their seals, are installed as described, and dual bore elment 13 is set upon tubing head and bolted thereto at flanges 11, 12 by the bolts 72. It should be particularly noted that either string 36 and hanger or string 37 and hanger 21 may be separately and independently removed. If oversize equipment is to be run into the well at the position of either string and hanger, that string and hanger may be removed in the manner heretofore described to provide the oversize opening into the well through the tubing head.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, many modifications thereof may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to protect by Letters Patent all forms of the invention falling within the scope of the following claims.

' I claim:

1. Well completion apparatus for multiple completio Wells comprising a casing head having a vertical passage therethrough from the well, a tubing head surmounting and said casing head and having a vertical openingtherethrough in axial alignment with said vertical-passage through the casing head, an upwardly facing annular shoulder around said opening for supporting a plurality of hangers within said tubing head, lateral support means disposed above said shoulder and dividing said shoulder into equal circumferential segments each having one of said lateral support means at each end thereof, a plurality of hangers each supported upon a said segment of said shoulder andeach held thereon against lateral movement off of the shoulder by said lateral support means at each end of the segment, hangers supported upon adjacent of said shoulder segments being spaced by said lateral support means, each of said hangers having a horizontal cross-sectional area which is less than the area obtained by dividing the horizontal cross-sectional area of said opening by the number of hangers constituting said plu rality of hangers, said hangers being spaced horizontally one from the other in said opening so that when one said hanger is removed a horizontal cross-sectional area of said opening is cleared which is greater in area than the horizontal cross-sectional area of the removed hanger whereby oversize equipment having a horizontal crosssectional area greater than the horizontal cross-sectional area of the removed hanger may be run therethrough, each said hanger including an intermediate flange seated on said shoulder segments and upper and lower tubular extensions therefrom, a passage through each said flange providing communication between the said upper and lower tubular extensions thereof, said shoulder being spaced below the top of said tubing head so that said hanger flanges supported thereon are spaced below said tubing head top, means for sealing said tubing head opening above said hanger flanges disposed to overlie said flanges and the spaces between said hangers and sealingly about said upper tubular extensions of said hangers and sealingly within said opening above said flanges, said lower tubular extensions of said hangers each including means for supporting a pipe in the well, the said spaced disposition of said hangers in said openingbeing permitted because of said disposition of said sealing means to overlie said flanges and spaces.

2. The combination of claim 1, said sealing means comprising a first plate supported upon said hanger flanges disposed within said tubing head opening and having openings therethrough to receive said upper tubular extensions of said hangers, a sealing member of elastorn'eric material supported upon said first plate disposed within said tubing head opening and also having openings therethrough aligned above said first plate openings, and a second plate'disposed upon'said sealing member and having openings therethrough aligned above said sealing member openings to receive said upper tubular ex tensions of said hangers therethrough, said sealing means also including means for urging said second plate downwardly within said tubing head opening to compress said sealing member between said first and second plates to cause said sealing member to expand laterally to seal said tubing head opening.

3. The combination of claim 2, said flange, upper and lower tubular extensions, and flange passage of each said hanger having seat means formed annularly therewithin; said combination including a valve seated at said seat means of each said hanger, each said valve being removable upwardly from its seat means.

4. Dual completion well apparatus comprising a body having a vertical opening therethrough, an upwardly facing annular seat around said opening, said seat being spaced downwardly from the upper end of said opening, two oppositely disposed support members above said seat for dividing said seat into two substantially equal segments each having one of said support members at each of its ends, a hanger seated upon each said seat segment and held thereon against horizontal movement off of the seat segment by said support member at each end of the segment, each said hanger comprising a horizontally disposed flange and upward and downward tubular extensions therefrom, each said flange having an opening therethrough communicating between the upward and downward tubular extensions thereof, the flange of each said hanger being seated upon one of said segments and engaging the support member at each end of that segment, each hanger flange having a horizontal crosssectional area which is substantially less than one-half of the horizontal cross-sectional area of said body opening and said hanger flanges being horizontally spacedapart in said body opening so that when one of said hangers is removed from said body opening an area of said body opening is cleared which is larger in horizontal cross-sectional area than the horizontal cross-sectional area of the hanger flange of the removed hanger; and sealing means disposed within said body opening and above said hanger flanges comprising lower and upper plates and a sealing member of elastomeric material disposed therebetween, said lower plate being disposed flushly upon said hanger flanges and across said space therebetween, there being also provided means for urging said upper plate downwardly to compress said sealing member between said lower and 'upper plates to form a fluid-tight seal in said body opening and around said upward tubular extensions of said hangers.

5. The combination of claim 4, each said downward tubular extension including means at its lower end for sealingly connecting to and supporting a pipe in the well, the combination also including annular seats around the hanger passages formed by the upward and downward extensions and flange opening of each hanger, and a valve means removable through the upward extension of each hanger seated at the said annular seat of each hanger to close said passage therethrough.

6. Well completion apparatus for multiple completion wells, comprising a well head having a vertical opening therethrough, upwardly facing shoulder means around said opening for supporting a plurality of hangers, a multiplicity of spaced vertical extensions upwardly of said shoulder means dividing said shoulder means circumferentially, a plurality of hangers each supported upon portions of said shoulder means between adjacent of said vertical extensions and each held thereon against lateral movement off of the shoulder means by said vertical extensions, adjacent of said hangers being spaced horizontally by said vertical extensions, each of said hangers having a horizontal cross-sectional area which is less than the area obtained by dividing the horizon tal cross-sectional area of said opening by the number of hangers constituting said plurality of hangers, said hangers being so spaced horizontally one from the other in said opening so that when a hanger is removed a horizontal cross-sectional area of said opening is cleared which is greater in area than the horizontal cross-sectional area of the removed hanger, each said hanger including an intermediate portion including lateral extensionsseated on said shoulder means and upper and lower tubular extensions therefrom, a passage through said intermediate portion providing communication between said upper and lower tubular extensions thereof.

7. Combination of claim 6, said shoulder means being spaced below the top of said well head so that said hanger lateral extensions supported thereon are spaced below said well head top, sealing means disposed over said lateral extensions of said hangers and the spaces therebetween and providing a sealing about said upper hanger extensions with said Well head, said lower hanger extensions each including means for supporting a pipe in the well.

8. Well completion apparatus for multiple completion wells comprising a casing head having a vertical passage therethrough from the well, a tubing head surmounting said casing head and having a vertical opening therethrough in axial alignment with said vertical passage through the casing head, an upwardly facing annular shoulder around said opening for supporting a plurality of hangers within said tubing head, lateral support means disposed above said shoulder and dividing said shoulder into circumferential segments each having one of said lateral support means at each end thereof, a plurality of hangers each supported upon said shoulder and each held thereon against lateral movement off of the shoulder by said lateral support means, hagners supported upon adjacent of said shoulder segments being spaced by said lateral support means, each of said hangers having a horizontal cross-sectional area which is less than the area obtained by dividing the horizontal cross-sectional area of said opening by the number of hangers constituting said plurality of hangers, said hangers being spaced horizontally one from the other in said opening so that when one said hanger is removed a horizontal cross-sectional area of said opening is cleared which is greater in area than the horizontal cross-sectional area of the removed hanger whereby oversize equipment having a horizontal cross-sectional area greater than the horizontal cross-sectional area of the removed hanger may be run therethrough, each said hanger including an intermediate portion seated on said shoulder segments and upper and lower tubular extensions therefrom, a passage through each said intermediate portion providing communication between the said upper and lower tubular extensions thereof, said shoulder being spaced below the top of said tubing head so that said intermediate hanger portions supported thereon are spaced below said tubing head top, means for sealing said tubing head opening above said intermediate hanger portions disposed to overlie same and the spaces between said hangers and sealingly about said upper tubular extensions of said hangers and sealingly within said opening above said intermediate hanger portions, said lower tubular extensions of said hangers each including means for supporting a pipe in the well, the said spaced disposition of said hangers-in said opening being permitted because of said disposition of said sealing means to overlie said intermediate hanger portions and spaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

